Ohio Public Radio

The first Presidential debate is tomorrow. But most polls show most Ohioans have already made up their minds when it comes to which candidate they’ll vote for. There is a small group of undecided voters but as Ohio Public Radio’s Jo Ingles reports, it’s hard to reach them…..and it could be hard for the candidates to reach them too. 

Ohio Addiction Services officials have complated a survey on gambling addiction, designed to see if new casinos and video slot machines placed at horse racing tracks will fuel more addiction in the future. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. 

Nearly a million Ohioans have returned absentee ballot request forms, asking for paper ballots from county boards of elections. And for those who’d like to cast a ballot early in person, voting starts tomorrow/today (Tuesday October 2nd) at locations specified by local boards of elections. Ohio Public Radio’s Jo Ingles says Ohio’s top elections official thinks early voting is looking good so  far.

Ohioans who work for the state’s minimum wage will be getting a pay hike next year.

The Ohio Supreme Court has decided not to get involved in an unusual case where a state agency sued another state agency's director.

A $2.4 billion class action lawsuit has been settled against one of the nation’s largest banks in favor of investors who lost billions…including two of the state’s largest pension systems.

A new law designed to remove some roadblocks for ex-felons looking for jobs takes effect today.

Republican State Treasurer and U.S Senate candidate Josh Mandel says changes are needed in Washington to push action on the budget deficit and national debt.

The Ohio Legal Rights Service has concluded its six-month investigation into alleged misuse of seclusion and restraint at Columbus City Schools.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says there were more than 22-thousand deer-vehicle collisions in Ohio last year.

State child welfare officials are launching a one million dollar study to determine whether anti-psychotic drugs are being over-prescribed for kids on Medicaid, especially those in foster care.

A physician and advocate for clean air is in Cleveland today to talk with college students about the adverse health effects of emissions from coal-fired power plants.

Governor John Kasich has signed a package of bills that supporters say shore up Ohio's five public pension funds.

Westerville South High School and a Bedford Heights manufacturing plant were two of the three stops GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney made in Ohio yesterday.

President Obama courted the student vote yesterday during campaign stops at Bowling Green State and Kent State universities.

A new poll shows President Barack Obama opening a double-digit lead over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in two of three key swing states.  Statehouse correspondent Karen Kasler looks into the numbers in Ohio.

After 11 straight months of gradually dropping, Ohio's official unemployment rate has remained steady for the past 3 months.  Although it's unclear where the 7.2% jobless rate will be heading, some of Ohio's job seekers see hopeful signs that the economy is improving.  

Ohio’s top elections official, Jon Husted, is getting failing marks from a group that says it is representing the rights of Ohio voters. Ohio Public Radio’s Jo Ingles has more on the story. 

Tens of thousands of Ohioans are in line to collect hundreds or thousands of dollars as part of that settlement with the nation’s five largest mortgage servicers. They were accused of proceeding with foreclosures without examining each individual case. 

The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that an attempt to repeal a 2009 levy in a school district in central Ohio will not be on the ballot this fall.